Monday, November 1, 2010

It's been a little while since the Bikes Outside lens has been aimed at the corner of Capitol and Babcock, so it was high time we paid a visit. La Paloma Sabanera has always been a reliable bike-spotting ground, playing host to plenty of bikes and bike people from day one. This weekend they will be hosting some of the Hartford International Film Festival as well. The annual multi-venue festival is fun and well-suited to attending on a bicycle.

This Trek hybrid is an oft-seen bike about town. The bright orange DOT "Share the Road" sticker makes the otherwise ordinary commuter bike easy to spot. Whether I'm at a farmers' market, cultural event or activist happening, there's a good chance this bike will be there. The owner walks the talk, as they say (that could seem like a technically flawed statement, but 'rides the talk' sounds awkward)

I was invited to speak on a panel at a recent Environmental Justice conference here in Hartford. A showing of hands early in the event showed a substantial number of Hartford residents in attendance. The weather was nice. Care to guess how many bikes were locked up outside? Three. Mine, another Hartford blogger's and this Trek. Methinks the early adopters are running a bit late. Come on people! There's plenty of road to share.